Battletoads (TV pilot)

Battletoads
Title card
Genre	Animated series, comedy
Created by	DIC Entertainment Rare (characters)
Developed by	Phil Harnage David Wise
Written by	David Wise Phil Harnage
Directed by	Kent Butterworth
Voices of	Kathleen Barr Ian James Corlett Michael Donovan Andrew Kavadas Lalainia Lindbjerg Scott McNeil Jason Michas Alvin Sanders
Theme music composer	Kip Lennon Ron Hicklin Susan Boyd Jon Joyce Jim Haas
Composers	Murray McFadden Michael Watts
Country of origin	Canada
Original language	English
No. of episodes	1
Production
Executive producers	Andy Heyward Robby London
Producer	Kent Butterworth
Original release
Network	syndicated
Release	1992 – 199

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Battletoads was a Canadian half-hour, animated television special produced by DIC Entertainment, airing in syndication in the United States on the weekend of Thanksgiving 1992. It is assumed that the series was an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Incidentally, DiC Entertainment would try this again later on by producing Street Sharks and then later Extreme Dinosaurs. However, only the pilot episode made it to the airwaves; it was never picked up as a full animated series, despite comic-style ads in GamePro magazine claiming otherwise. The pilot was released on VHS in the United States on January 15, 1994. It was developed and written by Phil Harnage and David Wise. (who has no relation to the composer of the Battletoads video games of the same name.)

The pilot served as a prequel to the video game franchise. The comic with the backstory of Battletoads, written by Rare employee Guy Miller, was also published in Nintendo Power.

Plot

Set in Oxnard, California, the show stars three teens. The trio is given the ability to transform into anthropomorphic toads with superhuman strength and the ability to change their arms and legs into weapons in techniques called "Smash Hits". They are charged with protecting Professor T. Bird and Princess Angelica from the Dark Queen, who wants to steal Angelica's magical amulet for her plans of universal conquest.

Reception

In 2008, Battletoads was given the #5 place on the list of The 5 Worst One-Shot TV Cartoons Ever Made by Topless Robot. According to Gawker, "Some say it was nothing more than a blatant Ninja Turtles rip off, but Shredder had nothing on the Toads' sexy nemesis, The Dark Queen."